The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-26

Stunned 10y every American workmen who
does not feel com pelled 10 put his children
| % hard work early,
In short, IA protect the American labore'
against the pauper lahorer Of Europe, the
proteCtionist brings that laborer 10 oul
doors, pays him wages which are larger In
amount than he received AT home, but
very little better because Of their inferior
purchasing power and continues to bring
them, knowing that the struggle for Nh eX
istence Is becoming sterner one every day
"Pauper labor means undergrad labor
labor that does not get wages enough e
maintain the laborer, unless his earnings
are supplemented by public charity,
Erery protectioaia adcocd'es pduper labor
He comes before the country and says
" Unless the nation contributes annually Il
maintain my business an average Of 40 pei
cent on all that | sell, cannot pay my
workmen living wages, and cannot carry
on my business"
How just the appeal is in the iron indus
try may he learned by statistics.
According 10 the returns made by the
iron masters of the country, one.fifth OF the
value of their out put, or marketable pro
duct, is paid for wages.
Consequently, pr )tection tariff of 20 pei
cent would be an equivalent of paying all
their wages. Surprising their average OF
81 cents a day is double the wages paid In
Europe for the same work, tariff of ten
per cent would put them on level with
European manufacturers so far as wages
are concerned.
Now, as the average tariff on iron Is
about 10 per cent, where does the differ
ence of 30 per cent goY Is II for the ben.
eft Of the poor laborers, or for the wealthy
capitalist, that the tariff is levied'
Our laborers are too often underpaid
But note this fact, and dispute II who can
that almost without exception, the highly
protected industries pay the lowest wages
and employ the most ignorant and unsatis
factory class of workmen.
II Is very strange that the working men
of America so generally regard the capital.
list as their enemy, except on this one mat.
ter Of protection. In this they seem to
think he is their friend. They do not see
tina, while. by high tariff. he shuts out
foreign competition, he does not shut on, the
hungry foreigner who is constantly coming
In TO underbid their labor. IN blind rage,
and In suffering, they often strike In the
vain attempt to force the average wages to
a higher level, when they should strike at
the artificial system which raises, perhaps,
the average wage ten per cent, and the
average cost of living twenty per cent.
Today, by the labor statistics of Massa
chusetts the majority of labOring men can.
not support their families upon their own
earnings. Minor children are compelled
to labor TO keep up the family expenses
One quarter or more of the average wages
are earned by ninors--from one. eighth to
e.siXth by children under 10.
In Illinois, the Commissioners of Lab Z
say; Half of tile workmen in lnois are
unable to earn enough for their daily
bread, and have to depend upon the labor
of women and children to exc out their
miserable existence"
Does protection protect? This question
recurs often when we consider our labor
question. Does our tariff equalize wages {;
Do We find the iron. workers of Alabama
get the same pay as those of Pennsylvania !?
or of Michigan and Illinois?
The value of wages depends upon their
purchasing power. Our wages look large
to foreigners, and they come over with
large expectations. They are accustomed
to cheap clothing, cheap rents, and cheap
amuseHents. They find rents which to
them are fabul0usly high, clothing more
than double what they are used to paying,
amusements and luxuries costing more,
and standard OF living which calls for a
larger outlay, or Compels them to feel de
graded. They feel this and II chafes them.
They clamor for higher pay, but the pro.
tected industries, which employ them
most, do not respond. Even when the tariff
is raised the pay of the workmen is not.
A recent combination of coal men, home
protection tariff which it is strange that
the protection journals do not approve,
raised the price of coal to the consumer
dollar and half ton, but the miners got
no advance in wages,
Why is the tariff responsible for our pau.
per laborers? Because II stimulates over
production and enforCes idleness. As has
been said already, We produce In six
months about years supply of most man.
ufactured articles. We have shut ourselves
out of the mar keIs Of the world by taxing
our most available articles for export SO
that they can only be used for home con-
sumption. This often compels the work
men 10 lie idle a great part of the year.
This should not be forgotten in considering
our wages paid. Our unprotected indus.
tries are obliged to pay so much more for
their raw material that they pay smaller
wages. We are producing not what We